Improvement in hat-blocking machines



PLPETEES. PHCTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D C. n.

uitrit tant @anni (titille JACOB SURERUS AND WILLIAM H. BEHBENS, OE NEWARK, VN EW JERSEY. ASSIGNORS T() ARCHIBALD T. FINN, 0F SAME PLAGE.

Leners Patent No. 102,613, dated May 3, 1ero.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAT-BLOCKING- MACHINES.

The Schedule referred to' in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, JACOB SURERUS and WIL- LIAM H. BEHRENS, of the city of Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Blocking' Hats, of which the following is is a specification.

Nature and` Object of the Invention.

Our inventions herein set forth relate to machinery for blocking hats, in which we provide a ii'ame for the cone or hat-'body to be placed upon while being blocked, and sc constructed that it can be closed to -receive the cone, and beiexpanded to stretch or draw the body into the desired shape, and at the same time hold and stretch it at the precise points desired, and so hold or compress it that it will not be stretched at any other points, and so arranged that it can be operated easily and with desirable rapidity; and

The invention consists- First, in constructing said frame, and providing it with shields or plates to protect the hatfbody from corrugations and abrasions during the process of stretching the top portion of the coneat the corner of thev hat, as it is termed, and also with plates or pads to hold andipress the tip into shape.

Second, providing suitable clamps or brim-holders,

which seize and hold the brim on all sides simulta-A neously, which clamps hold and stretch the brim raf dially, being provided with suitable means for being moved outward from the center, for the purpose of stretching the cone asdesired, and also providing a ring or circular frame, against which the cone is held at the band whilst being so stretched.

We also provide springs for holding the clamps firmly together, and so mounting and arranging said springs that they can all be made to operate simultaneously upon the' hat-cone, and also operating said springs by a lever so. constructed that it presses upon opposite sides of the frame upon which the springs are mounted, that the pressure may be given equally upon all springs simultaneously.

We also provide our frame for holdingthe hat-body with suitable means for raising or lowering it, to accommodate different heights for crowns, as desired; and we also construct our machine in such manner that two machines may be mounted on a shaft, andv arranged to revolve so that the stretching may take place `while the hat-body is immersed in hot water, as it stretches more evenly when hot; but a double machine is only calculated for large manufacturers, and not intended for more general use.

-In the general description we shall therefore con` tine ourselves to asingle machine, in which the same. letters of reference in all the igures indicate corresponding parts of the machine.

Figure 1, plate 1, is a plan or top view.

Figure 2 is a central .vertical section, taken in the plane of the line .t x, iig. 1.

Gone-ral Description.

A, in the drawing, represents a tank or reservoir for holding water, upon which the machine is placed.

B, a shaft arranged in a horizontal position across the top ofthe tank A, from one side, C, to the other, turning in bearings D thereof.

E, ahandle, applied to shaft" B, projecting equally from its center, upon two opposite sides, with the end to each arm F, provided witha knob, G.

The two arms F are made with a spring, so as to be self-fastening by the. raised iiange or rib a, upon their inner faces, at each end of the arms within the notch b, to the raised ilange c, applied to the outside of the tanky A, where the"handle to the shaft is located.

H, an arm secured to the shaft B, between the two sides of the tankA, from which shaft, upon two sides, it projects in a diametrical line, 4forming two arms of equal length, that near .their outer ends each has. a circular or annular frame, I, secured and supported in a position at right angles to the arms H, by means of bracket-arms I2 fixed to the said arm H.

These annular frames I are eqnidist-ant from the center of the shaft B, and are located in planes parallel to each other, as well as concentric with a com# mon-center line through the arm H.

The frames I are also made of alight-angular shape, in transverse sections,.and at equal and regular distances apart are provided with a series of similar nprights, J that are hung at their lower' ends upon pivots l)2 to the frame I in a vertical plane, and in radial lines with the center of arm H.

For each of the uprights J a bent spring, K, is provided, ixed at their 4lower ends to the frame I and at their upper vends arranged to bear against a pin, o, in the uprigbts il, so as to hold the uprigbts against the raised portion of the frame I, as shown in the drawmgs.

L, the lower jawsof clamps for holdin'gthebrim portion of the cone during the operation of blocking, one end of which is pivoted to uprights J from which they project 4in radial lines around'the frame I. These jaws are serrated on their holding-surfaces, and supported by links Mrwhich are pivoted to the under v side of clamp-jaws L, at one end, and at the other end to the upper side of an annularI ring-frame N, which is concentric with the frame I, and working outside thereof. Y

-To operate frame N, it is connected, through link-y pieces O, at points l diametrically opposite each other, toarms P, secured to mhqrizon-tal shaft, Q, arranged to turn in bearingsof the side uprights R, to a crossarm, S, ofthe shaft B, herein referred to.

Thelever T is hung upon shaft Q, and operates frame N, and, beingr made with a spring, can be interloeked by rib d with notches j' in the upright side post g, either one, according to the height desired for frame N.

U, the upper j aw ot' clamps, which are 'hinged at their outer ends to the lower jaw L, at h, and are made to correspond with said lower jaw, being strengthened by a ange, V, lengthwise along the center of the upper side, and said clamps are provided with a spring, g', arranged for opening them by throwing up the jaw U.

W, -the lever which holds and operates the annular frame X and ring Y, vand to' which is secured said frame X, and is so construct-ed that is bearsequally upon both sides'ot` the annular frame X, and thereb gives equal pressure all around said frame.

This leveris mounted uponupright R by a hinge orjoint, a, so that it can be turned hack from the parts, and thereby allowing the cone to be placed in position for blocking.

X, the annular frame attached to lever W, to which flange ring Y is secured, and to which is also secured a series of springs, Z2, which are secured to the face Z of said frame X by their arms Az, and. correspond in number to the number of clamps, and arranged in such position as to bear upon theupper jaw U of the clamps, thereby holding tast the brim part of the cone during the operation of blocking.

For convenience in raising the lever XV, it is provided with a handle, B2, having a stud or pin, Z, with which the spring-levers C2 are arranged teengage, when the said frames are in the position shown in the drawings, or upon the rib plates, which levels G3 are arranged upon D?.

The outward ends oftlearms H are provided with a screwthread,over and outside of which a collar, E2, provided'with a similar' or suitably fitting thread, is screwed.

This collar` has att-ached to it a series of upright arms 0r levers, F2, in radial 'lines from the center thereof, in equal distances frcmeach other.

These arms, at their upper ends, are provided each with a convex plate or-'shield, G2, and' an upper plate or shield, H2, fitting alternately within and outside of each other for the whole series, with the outer ones overlapping the inner ones, all forming a complete circle,` or nearly so, when said frame isexpanded.

i L2 are connecting-links or levers pivot'ed at one end to the upper ends of arms F2, and at the other end pivoted to a common center tube or sleeve M.

This tube M2 is arranged to be moved up and down through the center of N2 by means of standard O2, to which it is fastened, and which is operated by lever Q, to'which ,it is hinged at I, which lever operates upon a fulcrnm at R2, upon the the arm S2.

T2 is a spring, arranged to act on lever-arm Q2.

By depressing the lever (j, the arms F2 will be thrown out or expanded, and are held in that position by means of catch W2.

To block a hat-cone upon our machine, we first adjust it to the height of crown desired by screwing the collar E? up or down upon the arm H; to the point wished. -"lhe lever W is then raised up and back, carrying the frame X and ring Y out of the way. The lever Q2 is then raised, which closes the arms F2 in position for the cone. The leverT is then moved into position to lower the frame N,"and bring the clamps into a vertical inclined position, the upper jaw thrown open by the spring, so as to 'receive the edge of the cone. The conc is then placed upon the arms l?, the edges laying upon the lower jaw of the clainpsTL, and the upper jaw U closed upon it. The lev'erWis then brought down, which brings the springs Z4Z to bear upon and h'old the clamps in place, and thereby hohling the cone in itslproper place during the blocking, the clamps having been previously brought up into a horizontal position. The arms F2 are then thrown out. to stretch the body into proper shape, and lever T is then moved to carry the ring-frame N up, which gives the clamps an outward or radial movement, which, carrying the cone, held by them firmly, outward, giving the desired stretch over and against the band-ring Y, which holds it, and thus sufficiently and properly breaking the band of the hat, the shields H and G2 operating against the corner of the hat to prevent the arms from corrugating or tearing the felt.

This stretching may be'done upon the cone while it is immersed in the water in tank A, or it may be performed without the immersion by using the cone while hot.

In order to secure the more perfect drawing out of' the central portion of the tip ofthe hat, there is arranged within the .tank A, in a proper position, a series of pads, B4, which are brought to bear upon the hat at that point by means of alever operating upon a shaft arranged f'rthat purpose upon tank A.

To operate the lever B2, that throws the crownblocking arms F2 ont, when the frame is in the tank A, a treadle, A, is arranged outside of the tank, and 'there hung to the same through armsl B, which, by connecting-rods C, are hung to the arms l)6 of a horizontal shaft E, passing inside of the tank, and provided at the proper point of its length -with an arm, F, for abutment against the said lever B2, and prodncing the required movement thereto.

On the clamps L slides GG are arranged, for regulating the desired width of brim, by means of the notches H6 upon the lower jaw of the clamps.

Having described our invention,

lVhat we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pateut, is-

1. A frame for stretching the-hat-cone, consisting of a series of expansible arms F2, provided with shields or plates overlapping one another, to prevent corrugations and abrasions in the square of the hat, substantially as described.

2. The pressure-pads' B4, operating in combination with the stretching-frame'h, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A hat-blocking mechanism, when applied to a shaft, whereby it 'can be swung around for operation iu and outgola tank, substantially as set vforth and shown.

4.' Providing-the. clamps to, theblockiug-i'ame with slides G, for regulating the width fbrim, substantially as shown. V

5. A hat-blocking mechanism, provided with `radially arranged clamps for holding the brim, in combination with levers Maud ring N, operating together substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

(j. A hat-blocking mechanism, provided with a series of clamps'capable of a radiallyexpausive motion, for holding and stretching' the brim, in combination with a banding-ring, against which -the hat is stretched and the band is broken. ,i

7. In a hat-blocking mechanism, the combination of ring Y, clamps L U, springs Z2, ring N, and levers M, all operating together in the manner and for the purposesV specified.

The above specification of our invention signed by us this 16th day of December, 1865.

JACOB SURERUS. \V. H. BEHRENS.

Witnesses M. M. .hivrxes'rom ALEX. l?. Renners. 

